After the Christmas / New Year break three new WhatsApp beta updates hit the Play Store. Two of them have hidden features that are still work-in-progress, but thanks to @WABetaInfo, we got to see an early preview of them and we are going to share our findings with you guys.

Unreleased features

Okay, so to begin with, the first beta, in particular, is version 2.19.1, which indeed bakes inside of WhatsApp a custom section that is dedicated for sending audio files, that also happens to have abilities such as playing back those types of files, showing album arts, and lets you upload maximum 30 files at once. Comparing this to the way sending audio works now, it is a much better approach. Instead of going through the hassle of choosing a third-party file manager, or music player to do the same task, and from time to time seeing the annoying "You may not have a proper app for viewing this content" message, finally a solution is on its way.

The next "innovation", is the upcoming inclusion of biometric security support for devices running Android 6.0 and above, spotted in version 2.19.3. Enabling the fingerprint/face identification toggles inside the Authentication section in the settings will completely block all kinds of access to the app (no locking for specific chats though) unless authorized.

We have not skipped v2.19.2 either but kept it for the end as it comes with just general improvements, rather than new options, and a workaround for an issue where WhatsApp could not access sticker apps when the system-wide battery saver mode is one. As a result, users will get asked to disable this mode if needed.

Because there are no release dates announced, we are sad for not being able to tell you when those exciting features will go live, so just be patient.

Tip us ⚡️ with any news about features you discovered in the app, to share them with the Community of beta testers. Are you looking for more insights? Check our daily Community Reports on TestingCatalog.